[Quadricuspid aortic valve; report of two cases]

Quardicupid aortic valve( QAV) is a comparatively rare congenital anomaly, which presents with frequent aortic regurgitaion ( AR) due to sclerotic changes. We report 2 cases (a 67-year-old woman and a 53-year-old man) of QAV associated with AR. We made an definite diagnosis by preoperative transthoracic and intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography. Intraoperative findings showed type C QAV in case 1 and type B QAV in case 2 according to the Hurwitz classification. The left coronary ostia was slightly shifted to the aortic root in case 1. There were no other congenital anomalies, therefore only aortic valve replacement with mechanical prosthesis was performed in both cases. The postoperative courses were uneventful.